Welcome to The John Merrill Foundation A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY - JOHN MERRILL IS GIVING THE 2010 WAINWRIGHT MEMORIAL LECTURE ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 9TH. 2010 AT THE RHEGED CENTRE, NEAR PENRITH, CUMBRIA. CA11 ODQ TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT RHEGED - TEL. 01768 868000 On Saturday July 17th. 2010, John was Ordained as an Interfaith Minister. For more details about his work and ministry see www.pilgrimways.co.uk "The miracle of life is not flying through the air, nor walking upon the water, but walking upon the earth." Chinese saying. "Wakan Tanka smiles upon us because now we are as one; Earth, sky, all living things - The two-legged, four-legged, the winged ones, The trees, and the grasses." Lakota traditional. Walking is my passion and life' work. I attempt to write books on the whole spectrum of walking - countryside, towns and villages, mountains, coast, islands, day challenges and long walks both day and multiple days. At the John Merrill Foundation, I believe in the importance of providing a quality guidebook. That’s why every book we sell is guaranteed to be exactly as described and to arrive in good condition and autographed free. All our printed and bound by me and are totally all my own work. A satisfied customer is a repeat customer and one who enjoyed my described walk. We want you choosing us first whenever my walk guidebooks can meet your needs. If ever you have a question or concern about doing business with us, you can use the information on our Contact Us page to reach us. You can be sure we’ll do everything we can to address your concerns in a courteous way. We’re not happy until you’re happy. At The John Merrill Foundation, you get the walk guides you want and service with a happy walking smile.   The books are printed from a 100% sustainable forest. The John Merrill Foundation plantes sufficient trees through The Woodland Trust tp replenish the trees used in its publications. The John Merrill Foundation is the publisher of all John Merrill's walk and history books - over 320 titles. All are available - see the individual sections for different types of walks - and if you want any information about them, send your postal address via our email - marathonhiker@aol.com - and we will send you everything. BOOK PRICES - Please note the book prices are in US dollars, as we are integrated with Paypal banking worldwide. We also supply guidebooks worldwide. The book prices are worked out on the basis of $1.5 USd to £1 sterling.The UK price for each book is displayed at the end of each book's page. For example a book at - £5.95 = $10 £6.95 = $12 £7.95 = $14 £9.95 = $18 £10.95 = $20 £11.95 = $22 £12.95 = $24 £15.95 = $30 All books are sent first class post in Britain and are charged at $2 per book (£1.50) for postage and packing. Each subsequent book is £1. Elsewhere in the world they are sent printed Airmail printed paper rate. The prices are listed in US Dollars as we recieve orders worldwide. If your PayPal account is in a different currency a competetive exchange rate will be determined by PayPal. You can print off the order forms and send a sterling cheque with your order, if you prefer. ALL MY BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE FROM www.amazon.co.uk Lets Go for a Walk - free walks, taken from John's latest book - so you have excuse but to get your boots on and start treading the globe! He will take parties upto a maximum of ten people around the route - provided participants book in advance. John Merrill also lectures extensively about walking and his walks - see the Illustrated Lectects section for full details. See John's new page - "The Art of Walking the John Merrill Way." Walk two of John Merrill's classic walks in the Peak District - THE LIMEY WALK - 40 miles down 20 limestone dales; created, devised and written about in 1969. June 2009 is the 40th anniversary of this fine walk. THE PEAKLAND WAY - 100 miles - the first circular long distance walk around the Peak District, created, devised and written about in 1972. Thank you for visiting and Happy walking! John N. Merrill email us - marathonhiker@aol.com Remember - "For every mile that walk, you extend your life by 21 minutes!"

Badges and certificates - £6.00 each ($9) - send your postal address, date/s of the walk, and names for the certificates. See separate section. All walkers writing in for badges/certificates, having completed a walk, have their names added to the "ROLL OF HONOUR" section on this website. You are invited to send me pictures of your walk for adding to section. Congratulations to Colin Banks of Cheshire who has just walked 24 miles a day, for 8 days, along the Coast to Coast Walk; he raised over £3,000 There are walkers ..... and there is a walker There are writers .... and there is a writer No one has ever walked so much or written so much. He is always copied and but never equalled. For all John Merrill walk guides - more than 300 books visit and order his books on www.johnmerrillwalkguides.com FREE BOOK WITH EVERY ORDER! Many people use my challenge walks to raise money for charity. Recently a party of Manchester who walked the White Peak Challenge walk and raised about £10,000 for NSPCC and Cancer Research; this means that money raised is now over over £754,000 - WELL DONE TO YOU ALL AND THANK YOU. My latest coastal walk - April 2009. was around the coastline of the Isle of Jersey - 51 miles, a superb walk in brilliant weather! This new UK Island Walk Book was piblished on June 22nd 2009! Four new Pilgrim Way guides are now out, having spent the summer walking and checking the routes - Folkestone, Hythe - Canterbury - 25 miles London - Canterbury - 75 miles London - St. Albans - 34 miles London - Walsingham - 190 miles In May 2008 I walked around Hayling Island and a new book on this island walk is now out! - a superb small island of diverse scenery.

Photo opposite - John Merrill on June 6th. 2010, after crossing the finishing line in Potters Field, near Tower Bridge, London, after joining 1,500 walkers on a six mile "Walk for Life". Combined we raised about £230,000 for HIV/AIDS help in Africa. I know only a short walk, but great fun along the streets of London and great entertainment at the end.Being the 21st. anniversary of the walk, we were asked to wear fancy dress! I even got a medal for completing the walk! Why not take part next year? - see www.walkforlife.co.uk - see my link page. I would like to see more walkers taking part in what is a good day out and a pleasant stroll around central London...come and join us! If you would like to make a donation, open until end of July 2009, See my sponsor page - http://www.walkforlife.co.uk/public_individual_sponsorship.php?=285 Several of you have very kindly made a donation - I am most grateful, thank you. This year I am hoping to raise more than £300.00. See separate photo page - Walk for life 2009 - for the story of the day. We would ask Charity walkers using one of John Merrill's routes, that you send the information to us to keep our records upto date - thanks. Some notable charity walkers - September 22nd. 2007 - Graham Ladds and party of five who walked the Little John Challenge walk - 28 miles in Sherwood Forest. They raised £400.00 for the Home Start Charity in Edwinstowe. Congratulations to them. On October 5th. Roy Pullan of Cheshire, aged 79, wrote to tell me walked the Cheshire Ring Canal Walk, with my book. Alone over 8 days he completed the 100 mile walk and raised £1,305 for the East Cheshire Hospice in Macclesfield. He is an inspiration to us all.

THE LIMEY WAY IS 40 YEARS OLD!! John Merrill's first and classic walk, through twenty limestone dales of the Peak District - 40 miles - June 2009 is the walks 40th. birthday. Now walked by more than 25,000 who have raised thousands of pounds for charity. Arguably the finest limestone dale walk in the country. We are giving away twenty FREE LIMEY WAY WALK GUIDES - Autographed and post free! - Applicable only to the United Kingdom. A full booklist, badge order form and special offers will be included. Simply email your postal address to me - marathonhiker@aol.com - and we will send you the book. Happy walking! John Merrill

THE EPPING FOREST CHALLENGE - ANNUAL CHARITY WALK NEXT DATE - SUNDAY APRIL 17TH. 2011 All money raised goes to the National Rhuematoid Arthritis Society. The first was on April 20TH 2008 raised £135. On April 19th. 2010, three walkers raised more than £500. Why not join me next year? Registration costs £10.00 and includes a completion certificate and cloth embroidered badge. Send to The John Merrill Foundation, 32, Holmesdale, Waltham Cross, Herts. EN8 8QY to reserve your place. The photo is of this years walkers at Pole Hill. The walk makes a great day out; getting fit and raising money for a very worthwhile cause.

JOHN MERRILL'LATEST BOOKS -   ST. BIRINUS PILGRIMAGE WALK - 26 MILES. Circular walk from Wallingford, Oxfordshire, via Churn Knob (photo) to Dorchester Abbey and the shrine of St. Birinus, founded in 633AD. Then back along the Thames Path to Wallingford. An amazing walk of hills, churches, historical Iron Age Mounds and secluded villages. St. CEDD'S PILGRIMAGE WALK - 24 MILES A magnificent remote walk around the Dengie Peninsula in Essex, to St. Peter's Chapel on the wall, founded by St. Cedd in 654 AD.  LONDON TO WALSINGHAM - 174/194 MILES England's premier pilgrim's route fully described with the option of looping via Bury St. Edmunds - a pilgrimage centre in its own right. A5 book. Wire bound. 256 pages. 250 photos. 41 maps. UK price - £14.95. FOLKESTONE, HYTHE TO CANTERBURY - 25 MILES Beautiful peaceful walk across the Kent countryside to Canterbury, tracing the medieval pigrims route to Thomas Becket's shrine. Amazing church's and rolliong countryside. A walk, challenge and pilgrimage for all. 68 pages. 6 maps. 43 colour photographs. £9.95 ISBN 978-0-9560649-8-1 Published August 29th. 2009. A WALK AROUND JERSEY COASTLINE A stunning 51 mile walk around the entire island, eith over 3 or 5 days. Beautiful sandy beaches, rugged cliffs and headland and a rich military history, are just some of the delights of the island. 84 pages.9 maps 41 b/w photographs.40 colour photographs. A5 Spiral bound £8.95 ISBN 978-0-9556511-3-7 Published June 26th. 2009. Recently PUBLISHED - "A Walk around Hayling Island" A really stunning walk of 24 miles; beaches, wild flowers, sea birds galore, inns, thatched houses and much much more. ISBN 978-0-9556511-6-8 A5. 40 pages. 2 maps. 23 colour photographs. My first colour walk guide! See Coast Walk books for more details WALKS IN THE LONDON BOROUGH OF BARNET - Published late April 2008 Fifteeen walks in the borough, including The Pymmes Brook Trail; London Loop, The Capital Ring and Dollis Brook Valley Green Walk. Historical walks around Barnet and the Battle of Barnet, Monken Hadley and Mill Hill. Other walks to Arkley Windmill, and Edwarebury. Plus park walks including Friary Park and other walk suggestions. 124 pages. 23 maps. 50 phtographs. £9.95 ISBN 978-0-9556511-4- See London Walks section for more details and ordering.

Congatulations to Danny Long of Saffron Walden. He has just completed 20 of my challenge walks - more than 500 miles of walking - photo opposite, taken June 29th. 2010. Joel E. Foote of Nottinghamshire did his first walk of mine, in June 2000, aged 4 1/2 - a 3 mile walk around Matlock. See his page - A Young Walker's Story. Site last updated September 1st.  2010. May I wish you all Happy Walking. May you enjoy each moment as you follow your path. Thought for the day - "Take a 10 - 30 min walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant." "Once every three to five years, embark on a journey on your own."

At the suggestion of Mark Radford, who sent the photo on the left, of us both in 1981, you are invited to send me your photos of us or on one of my walks for adding to the Old Photos page. Stewart Wragg of Sheffield has sent me his story and pictures of walking the Pennine Way in 1975. See separate section. Those were the good old days of freedom and great equipment - worth reading and seeing. Happy walking!

See new page - ROUND BRITAIN WALKERS - For information about the current people walking in my footsteps around the coast of Britain.